1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion control device for a vehicle which integrally incorporates a hydraulic unit mounting therein a pump for generating a controlled hydraulic pressure applied to respective wheel cylinders of the vehicle and a control unit provided with a yaw rate sensor for detecting the yaw rate of the vehicle and capable of controlling the hydraulic unit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known a motion control device for a vehicle which is shown in International Publication WO 2005/039946 A1 (hereafter referred to as Patent Document 1). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1, the motion control device includes a hydraulic unit (2, 3), a control unit (4) and a vehicle behavior sensor (5). The hydraulic unit 3 is supported by a support bracket (10) through three support members (11). The motion control device has three support points (7, 8, 9) for supporting the hydraulic unit 3 on the support bracket (10). These support points define one plane (E), and this plane is arranged to extend in the neighborhood of the gravity center (S) of the motion control device.
Further, there has been known another motion control device for a vehicle which is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0102888 A1 (hereafter referred to as Patent Document 2) equivalent of International Application Publication in Japan No. 2004-506572. As shown in FIG. 4 of Patent Document 2, a valve block 19 is elastically suspended from a holder 25 through a screw 24 and a damper element 22, and a controller unit 1 is secured to the holder 25 through another screw 24′ in a manner that vibration is not damped, wherein an intermediate chamber or space 15 is provided to separate the controller unit 1 from the valve block 19. A valve dome 12 which protrudes from the valve block 19 toward the controller unit 1 is surrounded by a valve coil 16 (magnetic plug) arranged in the controller unit 1. The valve coil 16 is connected by means of a connector member 13 which is elastic, conductive and removable, to a printed circuit board 8 in the controller unit 1.
Further, there has been known still another motion control device for a vehicle which is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0163470 A1 (hereafter referred to as Patent Document 3) equivalent of International Application Publication in Japan No. 2004-535325. As shown in FIG. 9 of Patent Document 3, a bracket 16 constitutes a main body 161 taking a generally U-letter shape, on which an electronically operated hydraulic valve unit 162 is mounted. The hydraulic valve unit 162 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 163 which carries at least one accelerometer and at least one angular velocity sensor. The hydraulic valve unit 162 is secured to the bracket 160 by means of plural threaded fasteners 164 (one only shown in the figure). Further, where an ECU 20 is mounted directly on the vehicle, the mounting position is selectable so that motion sensors 24, 25 and 26 shown in FIG. 3 of Patent Document 3 can be brought into alignment with respective reference axes of the vehicle corresponding thereto.
In the motion control device described in Patent Document 1, the directions in which the three support members (11) support the hydraulic unit (3) are in parallel relations with one another. In other words, the support directions extend in one direction only. Thus, so far as the one direction is concerned, the vibration inputted from a vehicle body can be appropriately attenuated or damped, whereby the transmission of the vibration which is generated by the actuation of hydraulic devices in the motion control device can be suppressed properly. However, it is unable to sufficiently reduce the influence that the vibration generated by the actuation of a pump (of a reciprocation type) being a hydraulic device exerts on a yaw rate sensor.
Further, also in the motion control device described in Patent Document 2, the directions in which at least three support points support the motion control device are in parallel relations with one another. In other words, the support directions extend in one direction only. Thus, so far as the one direction is concerned, the vibration inputted from a vehicle body can be appropriately attenuated or damped, whereby the transmission of the vibration which is generated by the actuation of hydraulic devices in the motion control device can be suppressed properly. However, it is unable to sufficiently reduce the influence that the vibration generated by the actuation of a pump (of a reciprocation type) being a hydraulic device exerts on a yaw rate sensor.
Further, with respect to the motion control device described in Patent Document 3, there is included a teaching “The motion sensors 24, 25 and 26 are in alignment with vehicle reference axes corresponding thereto”, but there is not included any specific teaching about the technique which takes the mutual relation between the pump (of the reciprocation type) being a hydraulic device and the yaw rate into consideration to reduce the influence that the vibration generated by the actuation of the pump exerts on the yaw rate sensor.